Beer barrel faucet attachment



March 16, 1965 E. A. PAWSON BEER BARREL FAUCET ATTACHMENT Filed Aug. 2, 1963 EDWARD ATTO INVENTOR.

. PAWS ON RNEY United States Patent 3,173,586 BEER BARREL FAUCET ATTACHMENT Edward A. Pawson, 2652 Gundry Ave., Long Beach, Calif. Filed Aug. 2, 1963, Ser. No. 299,518 2 Claims. (Cl. 222400.7)

This invention relates to a novel beer barrel faucet attachment whereby beer barrels may be tapped and in particular relates to a barrel unit and a tap unit which is used in connection with barrels or kegs of the type in common use. These barrels to which my attachment is fastened have an opening of standard size and shape in one wall thereof.

My invention relates to an attachment of the character stated which is attached to a single opening in the wall of a barrel or keg and which is so constructed that the same attachment provides a means of admitting a gas under pressure into the barrel and also to draw beer from the keg through this same attachment.

An object of my invention is to provide a novel faucet attachment of the character stated which can be quickly and easily attached to the flanged opening of the barrel and which can be easily manipulated to permit withdrawal of beer through a dispensing pipe which is part of the attachment.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a novel faucet attachment which is so constructed so that leakage of beer or the pressure fluid is reduced to a minimum.

Other objects, advantages and features of invention may appear from the accompanying drawings, the subjoined detailed description and the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a barrel with my attachment fastened thereon.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of my beer barrel faucet attachment.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary plane view of my faucet attachment.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5--5 of FIGURE 4 and showing the parts in locked position.

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 5 by showing the parts in unlocked position.

FIGURE 7 is front view of the seal showing a slot.

Referring more particularly to the drawings the numeral 1 indicates a barrel which includes a drain opening 2 in one wall thereof and this opening includes an upper outwardly extending flange 3.

My faucet attachment 4 is constructed as follows: A ring 5 is positioned within the drain opening 2 and rests on a washer or packing 6. A tube 7 is formed with a flange 8 on the top thereof and this flange rests on top of the ring 5. A nut 9 threads into the drain 2 and bears against the ring 5 to hold that ring in position within the drain 2 and also to press the ring against the packing 6.

A beer outlet pipe 10 rests on the upper edge of the tube 7 and suitable packing is provided between these parts to prevent leakage. To hold the parts thus far described securely in position and also to latch them on the flange 3 of the drain 2, I provide a pressure cap 11 which surrounds the pipe 10. The pressure cap 11 is provided with two or more cam locks 12 which are pivotly attached to the pressure cap in the ears 13. A finger 14 is pivotly attached to each of the cam locks 12 and these fingers extend under the flange 3 to securely hold the pressure cap 11 in position as shown in FIGURE 5. A nipple 15 extends into the pipe 18 for the purpose of conducting pressure fluid into the pipe 3,173,586 Patented Mar. 16, 1965 ice and thence into the barrel 1 as will be subsequently described.

To provide a means of withdrawing beer from the keg and also to admit pressure fluid into the keg, I provide the following structure: A sleeve 16 is seated in the tube '7 on the seat 17 within that tube. A thimble 18 is threaded into the upper end of the tube 7 and bears against the upper end of the sleeve 16 to hold the sleeve against the seat 17. A plurality of small ducts 19 extend downwardly at the periphery of the thimble 18 and also around the outer surface of sleeve 16 so that pressure fluid is conducted past the seat 17 and will flow into the barrel as follows: A rubber or plastic seal of annular construction 20 grips the lower end of the tube 7 at one end and also grips the sleeve 16 at its lower end. Due to the contraction of the seal 20 leakage is thus prevented around the tube and the sleeve. A plurality of slots or cuts 21 extend through the wall of the seal 20 to permit pressure fluid to escape into the barrel or keg 1. To prevent escape of pressure fluid in the keg a check valve is provided which includes an annular packing 22 which surrounds the sleeve 16 and is positioned opposite the slots or cuts 21, thus pressure in the keg 1 will compress the seal 20 against the packing 22 thus preventing escape of pressure fluid particularly when pressure fluid may have been shut off at the nipple 15.

A valve 23 seats upwardly against the bottom of the thimble 18 and is pressed into seated position by the coil spring 24. When the valve is seated, the beer will be held under pressure within the keg 1. When the valve is unseated, beer is withdrawn under pressure through the pipe 10, and thence to a faucet (not shown). To unseat the valve 23 I provide a tubular probe 25, the lower end of which engages the valve 23. The probe 25 is depressed when the nut 26 is screwed onto the upper end of the pipe 10 during the mounting of the beer faucet (not shown).

A long tube or hose 27 extends downwardly from the lower end of the sleeve 16 and this pipe or hose is preferably made of rubber or plastic and will grip the lower end of the sleeve 16 so that no leakage will occur at this point. The lower end of the hose 27 rests on the bottom of the keg 1, so that the beer may be drawn upwardly through this hose due to the pressure of air or other fluid on the top of the beer, which pressure fluid is introduced through the nipple 15 as previously described.

Having described my invention, I claim:

I. A beer barrel faucet attachment including the combination of a barrel having a drain opening therein and said drain opening being formed with an annular flange thereon,

a ring positioned in said drain opening,

means fixedly mounting said ring in the drain opening,

a tube seated on the said ring,

an outlet pipe seated on the upper end of the tube and positioned in alignment with the tube,

a pressure cap engaging said outlet pipe,

and means on the pressure cap releasably engaging said annular flange on the drain opening,

a sleeve seated in said tube,

a flexible seal gripping said tube at one end and sair sleeve at the other end,

said seal having relief slots extending through the wal thereof,

said tube having a plurality of ducts extending ver tically therethrough,

said ducts communicating at one end with said pip and at the other end with said slots in the seal,

and a pressure inlet nipple in said pipe.

3 e a 4 2. A. beer barrel faucet attachment including the com said tube having a plurality of ducts extending vertibination of a'barre'l having-a drain opening therein and 7 cally therethrough,

said drain opening being formed with an-annu1ar' flange said ducts communicating atone end with said pipe thereon, and at the other end with said slots in the seal,

a ring positioned in said drain opening, 5 and a pressure inletnipple in said pipe.

means fixedly mounting said ring imthe drainropening,

a tube seated on the said ring, Bgffl fis Cited the Examiner an QudetpipeseaIted onthe e cgof the tube and p t STATESPATENTS P05110116 na lgnment wi e;.- u e, 3 0615885 2 a-pressure' cap engaging said outlet pipe, 3. 10 5 11 4. gi g g "f a- 3x3 a 'c'am-l'ock pivotly mounted on theprressure cap, I 3090530 763 e j 2 07 anfingerpivotly mounted on thexcamyloek;.s'aidifinger 3135438 6/64 5: 5-" 222:40o-7 engaging the flange on the idrairr. opening, a X i a --a' s1eeve' seatedin s'aid-tube; t I g v a flexible-seal gripping said tube at. oneflendand :said 15 2 -B P i Examiner wsleeve at the'othertend, O 1-; DEM QE amm r.

said seal having':re1ief slots extendingthrough the: Wall thereof, 7 

1. A BEER BARREL FAUCET ATTACHMENT INCLUDING THE COMBINATION OF A BARREL HAVING A DRAIN OPENING THEREIN AND SAID DRAIN OPENING BEING FORMED WITH AN ANNULAR FLANGE THEREON, A RING POSITIONED IN SAID DRAIN OPENING, MEANS FIXEDLY MOUNTING SAID RING IN THE DRAIN OPENING, A TUBE SEATED ON THE SAID RING, AN OUTLET PIPE SEATED ON THE UPPER END OF THE TUBE AND POSITIONED IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE TUBE, A PRESSURE CAP ENGAGING SAD OUTLET PIPE, AND MEANS ON THE PRESSURE CAP RELEASABLY ENGAGING SAID ANNULAR FLANGE ON THE DRAIN OPENING, A SLEEVE SEATED IN SAID TUB, A FLEXIBLE SEAL GRIPPING SAID TUBE AT ONE END AND SAID SLEEVE AT THE OTHER END, SAID SEAL HAVING RELIEF SLOTS EXTENDING THROUGH THE WALL THEREOF, SAID TUBE HAVING A PLURALITY OF DUCTS EXTENDING VERTICALLY THERETHROUGH, SAID DUCTS COMMUNICATING AT ONE END WITH SAID PIPE AND AT THE OTHER END WITH SAID SLOTS IN THE SEAL, AND A PRESSURE INLET NIPPLE IN SAID PIPE. 